saturday night live

[pete]

yeah I like the gossipy salaciousness of it all.
though he constantly backed the wrong horses and history had proven him wrong.  those 22 year olds went on to make that show pretty legendary in the 90s.  he laments the show's new writing process without really understanding what the old ones was like, past golden-age nostalgia, and seemed like he wasn't funny enough as a person to understand how to write jokes and how laborious comedy can be sometimes - instead he immediately dismisses all labor as signs of trouble, and writes disparaging remarks for sandler and his clan.
now, there are legitimate critiques to that type of humor, to that awful year of snl, and all of that, but this reporter didn't catch it.  he did, however, get a few comics to open up to him and talk shit about each other.
live from new york was a little more sanitized, but provided much greater insight.

[tpfkabi]

i found it interesting, too.

one thing it made me wonder - what do they do in the two weeks between a live show - rerun aired - new live show, like this coming Saturday?

also, does anyone know the fate of people they talked about - the head writer in particular?

[polkablues]

I know Jim Downey quit when Norm MacDonald was fired, but I think he came back a few years later, and as far as I know he's still with the show.

[modage]

Pretty sure the show schedule remains the same so when there's a rerun they have that week off. 

[polkablues]

Finally watched this past weekend's SNL.  Big improvement over the rest of the season so far.  Emma Stone hosting well, Kings of Leon playing good music, lots of Nasim Pedrad, Brett Favre's No-Fly Jeans, more John fucking Mulaney on Update  ... I left happy.  I'd like to say I hope they can keep the momentum going next week with Jon Hamm, but let's be real; they can't do two good episodes in a row.

[ono]

It's funny you say that, 'cause in other circles, this episode has been considered a letdown.  As for me, I fell somewhere in between.  Emma Stone, like Bryan Cranston, was very underused, and there were too many recurring sketches (the Dream Home being the most egregious, being a direct ripoff of a sketch from the '07 Brian Williams episode).  Kings of Leon are so blah (for me).  I loved the digital short, Les Jeunes de Paris, and My Brother Knows Everything.  And like you polka, I'm a big fan of Nasim now.  Waiting for her to shove Wiig aside.

None of the episodes this year have gotten me incredibly excited.  Poehler's was great, but part of that was the cameos, and the excitement over it being back.  Cranston was underused (no Breaking Bad parody, either -- really?!).  Jane Lynch's was good -- the one I found myself watching the most, despite the horrid Glee parody, sullied by Gilly.

Right now, I'm reveling in the mastication of old(er), more scrumptious episodes of SNL that VH1 is playing.  I've never loved my DVR more.  The Ben Affleck/Fiona Apple episode did air, and Affleck was great in his first appearance, complete with Paltrow coming up on stage and giving him shit.  Fiona performed Limp (I'd only sparsely seen her perform live, and seeing how small she is, and her convulsive dancing, was something else).  "SNL Fanatic" did not make the cut in this hour-long edition.  So many other classic shows from that era.  Just saw Ricci/Beck, and am now watching Rob Lowe/Eminem (w/Dido).

Since when did John Mulaney deserve a "fucking" modifier?    I mean, I like him just as much as the next guy, but he seems to have come out of nowhere (and impressed, yes).  Here's hoping he shows Seth the hook soon.  I have liked Seth ever since he first came on the show, but WU's gotten so dull without him having Amy to pingpong with.

[modage]

The writing has been especially weak this season.  There are a lot of talented performers but they're not given much to do.  

Nasim is ready to breakout but this new character is too similar to her "my dad is the best" girl.

It may be time for Kristen Wiig to leave the show.  Her re-occuring characters are starting to run together and they are all annoying.  Sad face.

And can I just say how fucking sick to death I am of the game show/talk show format.  I would rather an ambitious failure like French dancing any day of the week rather than suffer through another lazy reoccuring character or fake show.  Can sketches ever be situational anymore without having to reference some celebrity?

[polkablues]

Mulaney's been doing brilliant standup for a while now. The more they use him on the show, the better.

[tpfkabi]

what do you think of What's Up With That?

our cable channel pans and scans, so i think half of the background dancing people are always cut off. it didn't used to be that way. Weekend Update sucks when there are 3 people - you'll see half of the people on both sides.

[pete]

http://www.wkamaubell.com/archives/1240

my friend's blog.

[polkablues]

Your friend seems like kind of a dick.

[pete]

sometimes you're witty, other times your condescension's just a total bummer.
though I can't debate with your points from the article 'cause I don't watch that show anymore.

[polkablues]

sometimes you're witty, other times your condescension's just a total bummer.

That pretty much sums up my view of his blog post.  I'm sure he's a perfectly nice guy, but his whole premise is based on the notion that if you don't dislike the same things he dislikes, or interpret them in the same way as he did, you're wrong and have bad taste.  It left a bad impression on me.

[ono]

Nice dismount!

Your friend, while not a dick, seems fairly ignorant, not just re: his comments on What Up With That?, but his take on who's relevant at SNL anyway.

What Up With That?, in its first installment, was a breath of fresh air, a celebration of pop culture, and one of SNL's finest new endeavors in a while.  I admit that they are running it into the ground with its current incarnations (though the back-to-school edition did help to change things up a tiny bit).  It was a teeny bit derivative of "Fly High, Duluth," a sketch from an earlier Scarlett Johansson episode, but its things like this that keep SNL innovative.  Nowhere in the title of the show does it say comedy.  It was originally a variety show that used to sport multiple musical guests, unfunny short films by Albert Brooks, and even guest appearances by "felt" (the Muppets).  Funny is important, yes. But entertaining, invigorating?  Those two qualities are much more important.  Les Jeunes de Paris wasn't a failure.  It injected life into a show that's needed a kick, and has rightfully flown over the heads of those too cynical to get it.

[RegularKarate]

I like W. Kamaul Bell... he's got a really good personality and is a funny dude whenever he shows up on the many podcasts I listen to.  He's smart and doesn't seem at all like a dick. 
Polka, I think maybe you didn't read the whole thing.  He even comes out and says there's nothing wrong with you if you laughed at it.  He's just stating an opinion about SNL.

I think he's about half right in that blog post.  I think he just went about it the wrong way. 
"What's Up With That" knows exactly what it is and it's still pretty funny (I still laugh at it, though less and less each time) and to me isn't a good example of what he's talking about.